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In the contemporary workplace, leaders are almost expected to be mind-readers, especially when it comes to behavioural changes within their team. Noticing and then addressing them (before they blow up in your face) is essential.
HR Leader recently spoke to Leah Mether, communication specialist and author of Soft is the New Hard, about how leaders can manage the ever-changing landscape that is the Australian workplace.
The constant juggling act that leadership is in the contemporary workplace can be a headache for leaders – especially young leaders. This can be true when individuals in their term start exerting different behaviours towards either their work, colleagues, or leader.
These behaviour changes can involve tendencies and attributes that can directly lead to performance issues and, therefore, affect business outcomes.
Mether offered a five-step plan to address changes in behaviour before they become performance issues. Follow these five steps:
- “Notice the behaviour early – Pay attention not just to results, but how team members interact and respond to stress. Behaviour is part of performance.”
- “Lead with curiosity, not accusation – Start the conversation by asking open-ended questions based on your observations, rather than jumping to conclusions.”
- “Show empathy and compassion – Listen to their response, acknowledge their emotions, and offer support, without excusing inappropriate behaviour.”
- “Set clear expectations – Use frameworks like ‘what’s OK, what’s not OK’ to outline the behaviours you expect moving forward.”
- “Follow up – Check in regularly to ensure progress and offer ongoing support if necessary.”
“By addressing issues early, you prevent small problems from becoming bigger performance concerns,” said Mether.
These conversations around behaviour between a leader and a worker can often prove to be an uncomfortable situation for both parties. On some occasions, the conversations can drift into a psychosocial hazard if the communication isn’t clear and direct; instead, it can be perceived as a verbal attack.
Mether explained how leaders should approach these changes in a psychologically safe manner.
“A psychologically safe, challenging conversation is one where people can speak openly without fear of judgment or backlash. The keys are to manage your emotions first and be clear about your intentions – it’s about improvement, not blame,” said Mether.
“Use ‘I’ statements to avoid sounding accusatory, ask open-ended questions to understand the other person’s perspective, and listen more than you speak. Go hard on the issue, soft on the person – balancing empathy and accountability – and agree on clear steps forward. Done right, tough conversations lead to progress, not resentment.”
Kace O'Neill
Kace O'Neill is a Graduate Journalist for HR Leader. Kace studied Media Communications and Maori studies at the University of Otago, he has a passion for sports and storytelling.
